The Countryside Alliance have made a formal complaint to the corporation after Mr Tierman was featured in a short documentary on Inside Out South West on October 3, and again on October 5 on Radio 4 Farming Today.

Animal rights activist Jay Tiernan on the BBC South West Inside Out programme. Credit:
BBC/BBC

They say that the BBC have given him a "positive platform" after he received a six month suspended sentence for nine breaches of an injunction order for his part in attempts to sabotage the Government’s badger culling trials.

He admitted to the BBC that he still owes the National Farmers Union (NFU) £120,000 in legal costs

The Countryside Alliance have complained the activist used the appearances to encourage others to engage in illegal activity, after publicising the documentary on his Stop the Cull Facebook page.

“The BBC travelling around with Jay Tiernan talking about his illegal activity is the equivalent of them driving around with a burglar talking about the houses he plans to burgle."Tim Bonner, chief executive of the Countryside Alliance

Mr Tiernan has been arrested and convicted a number of times for offences such as aggravated trespass, criminal damage and fraud.

In January 2015 he was found guilty of attempting to disrupt a cull, harassing officials from the National Farmers Union (NFU) and of failing to inform his supporters about the terms of the injunction.

Tim Bonner, chief executive of the Countryside Alliance, told the Telegraph: "Jay Tierman is one of the most high profile, aggressive animal activists in the country.

"Mr Tiernan was so happy about the positive platform provided by the BBC that he boasted about the coverage in a social media post.

“The BBC travelling around with Jay Tiernan talking about his illegal activity is the equivalent of them driving around with a burglar talking about the houses he plans to burgle.

Animal rights activist Jay Tiernan on the BBC South West Inside Out programme.Credit:
BBC/BBC

"It is essentially an advertising slot for animal rights activists and the fact that he is able to boast about his illegal activities is very worrying."

The documentary features Mr Tierman using night-vision and thermal imaging equipment to search for marksmen shooting badgers in Cornwall.

He then makes noises and uses torches to notify the marksmen he is in the area and it is no longer safe for them to continue.

I couldn't sleep at night, I couldn't stay at home knowing that's going on in the fields of England. I've got to do something about that.Jay Tiernan

Mr Tiernan is a former soldier and one-time hunt saboteur, with a long history of militant activity against firms and individuals which he accuses of causing animal cruelty,

He was also founder member of Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (Shac), whose tactics were likened to “terrorism” by a judge in 2009, when he jailed seven members for their campaign of intimidation against the animal research firm Huntingdon Life Sciences.